It is a battle waged in millions of homes across America almost every weekend. Parents, reasonably, mildly the first time, say “Okay, guys. It is time to clean up your bedrooms.”

Parents feel they have to force some order. Children want their rooms to be their own – yet organized – domain. Children do have a lot on their plate sometimes. From school work, homework, and other extracurriculars, they are swamped with activities all throughout the week. It is why for most of them the weekends is their time to rest and unwind. The struggle just intensifies.

Eventually, you and the kids are all in a bad mood. Too often, parents give up, exhausted and just do it themselves in frustration. Other times the children do it. Alternatively, they may just do it barely, to avoid the consequences, to get on with activities that are more their liking. Another Saturday ends, and a week goes on, and then Saturday comes along. Another round begins.

So, why do we bother? Well, it is because it is our duty. Educating our kids how to organize their stuff and cleaning after themselves adds to their list of vital skills and talents for being a grown responsible adult.

• Teach Children Cleaning and Organizing Properly

Almost every job has a set training period. Moreover, just like with adults and their work, children need the training to accomplish chores you would give them. If you desire your children cleaning effectively, then you need to teach them how to accomplish it. Begin by letting them watch you as you, show them and explain while doing the tasks you want them to do. Next, allow them to assist you, as you give feedback. Finally, let them do the task alone while checking their progress and still giving directions. Bear in mind: provide positive feedback. Plus expect results that their age or maturity is capable of producing. They will improve at doing their chores as they get more practice doing it.

• Have the Right Supplies

The right tools to accomplish a task can make all the difference. This saying rings especially true when teaching children cleaning. If you wholeheartedly want your kids to succeed doing their chores, then provide the right tools. Keep your cleaning supplies simple and kid-friendly. Do not expect a child to start vacuuming using a heavy-duty vacuum cleaner that is as tall as they are. Never let children work with substances that could put them at risk. Remember, some water and a microfiber cleaning cloth can work wonders on most messes in the home.

• Remove the Chaos of Clutter

Cleaning your home can be impossible an impossible task when clutter exists.  Cleaning clutter, generally, involves dusting it off and restacking it somewhere else in the house. Now, if you are a child, it can be hard to identify stacks of clutter from other items. For kids to truly be victorious at cleaning, they need a clutter-free environment. Until clutter is under control in your home, cleaning will be a challenging task. It is a good approach to teach kids how to eliminate clutter. Since most kids instinctively love sorting things, sorting out clutter into categories is an excellent task to involve them in.

Want to learn a clever and quick way to eliminate clutter? Click Here

• Select Chores Appropriate for Age

Assigning chores to kids that are beyond their abilities is a sure-fire way to fail. It might be a challenge figuring out what chores kids can do. However, there are ways to help you find a starting point for tasks that are appropriate for your child. Keep in mind, though, however, that all kids are different. Use your best judgment about what your child is truly capable of doing.

Need help deciding age-appropriate chores? Click Here for a simple guide.

• Create a Schedule

Admit it or not, most families nowadays are busy doing stuff all the time. Kids are more active than ever, too. With a busy, hectic schedule, it can be tough to get a chance for children cleaning and tidy up. A great way to have your children cleaning is by creating and sticking to a plan. Scheduling every task makes it more feasible to happen. Creating a 15-minute period in the morning and the evening for completing chores is a good start. Schedule other tasks during the week. Additionally, make sure to balance free time and work time.

• Use a Chart

Now that you have a schedule, it is time to distribute chores to each member of the family. However, how to keep track of all of them? With a chart, of course!. There are several ways to devise a chart that will work for your family. Never assume that there is a one-size-fits-all chart. Some families use ready-made printable charts. While others use hand-written, custom-made charts on dry erase boards. Moreover, many households now are opting to use digital chore charts. Still, for others, more ornamental charts may motivate kids to use a chore chart. Try a few different types so you can find one that works well for your circumstances.

Check out great Chore Chart Ideas here.

• Use a Timer

Many of us can stick longer to a task, if we know it will not take forever. For many kids, this principle rings true, most especially while doing chores. Utilizing a timer is one of best trick to motivate children cleaning effectively. Kids like to attempt to beat the timer by completing their chores before the timer goes off. Moreover, even kids who hate chores feel like it is possible to work hard for a short amount of time. Set the timer for 15 minutes, and then see how many tasks they can effectively complete.

• Eliminate Excuses

Kids have a knack to come up with many excuses and reasons. It is most prevalent when you ask them why they cannot help out the way they are expected to. To have your children cleaning and help out maintaining your home, nip those excuses in the bud. Many times an excuse could be a symptom of a real problem. Get to the root of what is wrong. Then, find ways to overcome those challenges. If kids do not have sufficient time to clean, clear out some of their schedules. If our expectations are not clear, find means to explain and clarify it to them. Get rid of excuses and reasons for dealing with real issues.

Developing consistent habits gives some predictability and confidence in life. Grasping the purpose why to keep order, will help them understand and appreciate what is accomplished. More so during their adult life challenges. Being able to make a bed even in the midst of trying times may seem trivial. 

However, understanding how to go through the motions, and build a place that is peaceful are essential skills for getting us through challenging times.

Stressing the need to do things on time and put them in order also prepares kids to be responsible for their stuff. Whenever we teach them how to keep things safe, or when we educate them how to fix and mend items that are in disrepair, or when we encourage them to take the opportunity to organize the things that they value, we are creating the ideal concept of “responsibility” into a firm set of actions.

Those who are the most successful, usually, are the ones who know how to manage their assets, finances, properties, and workforce. Educating our children how to tidy up calmly and regularly, eventually, without hinting at it, contributes to their success.